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MIDPENINSULA REGIONAL OPEN SPACE DISTRICT 40
Meeting 96-12
SPECIAL AND REGULAR MEETING
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
May 22, 1996
I. ROLL CALL
President Nonette Hanko called the meeting to order at 7:07 p.m.
Members prof,,= Peter Siemens, David Smernoff, Mary Davey, Betsy Crowder, Nonette
Hanko, and Wim de Wit
Members-Ab Teena Henshaw
Personnel Present: Craig Britton, Jean Fiddes, and Sue Schectman
11. CLOSED SESSION
N. Hanko stated that the Board would adjourn to the Special Meeting Closed Session for the
purpose of discussing Closed Session agenda items 1, 2, and 3.
The Board recessed to Closed Session at 7:07 p.m. and the Closed Session commenced at
7:08 p.m. The Board adjourned the Special Meeting at 7:30 p.m. and N. Hanko called the
Regular Meeting to order at 7:34 p.m. She announced that the Board would continue the
Closed Session at the conclusion of the Regular Meeting in order to discuss Closed Session
agenda item 3.
Additional Personnel Present: Mary & Beauvieres, John Escobar, and David Sanguinetti
]IL. ORAL COMNUMCATIONS fl
William Hawkins, 646 Bucher Avenue, Santa Clara, said there are buried artifacts on the
Duveneck property at Hidden Villa and at Fremont Older Open Space Preserve in the yard
areas. He requested permission to look for them and would share any proceeds with the
District. N. Hanko requested that Mr. Hawkins contact the General Manager regarding his
request.
IV. ADOPTION OF AGENDA
the agenda. P. Siemens seconded the
Motion: W. de Wit moved that the Board adopt
motion. The motion passed 6 to 0.
V. ADOPTION OF CONSENT CALENDAR
C. Britton requested removal of agenda item 3, Authorimion of Permit to Enter for U,S.
Environmental Protectio-Agaro for Soil Testing at Cooley Landing - Ravenswood QM
Space Preserve and Determination that JjWect is Categ &AW-Exemipt from CEOA and N.
Hanko requested removal of the minutes of the May 8 Special and Regular Meeting.
330 Distel Circle * Los Altos, CA 94022-1404 - Phone:415-691-1200 0 FAX:415-691-0485 0 E-mail:mrosd@netcom.com AD
Board of Directors:Pete Siemens,Mary C.Davey,Teena Henshaw,David T.Smernoff,Nonette Hanko,Betsy Crowder,Wim de Wit
General Manager:L.Craig Britton
mee&g 96-12 Page 2
Motion: P. Siemens moved that the Board adopt the Consent Calendar including the
minutes of the May 6 Special Meeting; responses to written communications
from Dan Bernstein, Peninsula Access for Dogs, 8009B Cuesta Dr., Box 196,
Mountain View; Lisl Day, 4374 Miller Court, Palo Alto; and Bin Hauser, 148
Westridge Drive, San Jose; and revised claims 96-10. D. Smernoff seconded
the motion. The motion passed 6 to 0.
VI. APPROVAL OF MUNI=
N. Hanko stated that Anne Greaves of Palo'Alto should be included in the list of docents
present at the meeting and that Ingrid Graeve was not present at the meeting.
Motion: N. Hanko moved that the Board adopt the minutes of the May 8 Special
Meeting as amended. P. Siemens seconded the motion. The motion passed 6
to 0.
VR, BOARD BRUMINESa
A. Agenda Item No. I - Tentative-Adoatim of Trail Use Plan for El Carte de Madera
CrWk Open S2= Preserve and Amendm=A of Preserve's Co -- sive Use and
Man ude Trail Usen that Recom ded Azdons
C'*Pooricatty Exempt from rlpnA
A. Use and Management Committee RCR=
B. Staff R=rt M=rt R-16:01
B. Crowder, Chairperson of the Use and Management Committee, presented the
Committee's report. She suggested that a letter be sent to the Task Force members to
thank them for serving on the Task Force. She also thanked staff for their efforts.
She described the parameters the group had agreed on at the beginning of the process
over 14 months ago. These included: Attempt to create a trail plan which (1) is
consistent with the Board-adopted trail use policies and guidelines; (2) offers a variety
of loop trails, short and long; (3) considers the safety of the user in both physical
characteristics of the trail and in the area of user conflicts; (4) is interesting by
making use of the variety of landscapes and plant communities; (5) protects the
natural resource; (6) should provide opportunities for a variety of user groups; and (7)
should consider the maintenance required to sustain the trails. She said the committee
held meetings, including field trips, and following the final field trip, they modified
the plan slightly. She said, for example, one of the D priority areas was moved to B
and the bicycling group will work with staff on construction of that trail. She pointed
out that Exhibit 20 attached to the staff report does not show all the illegal MRS.
Page 4
Meeting 96-12
trail system. He
addresses the values determined by the District and provides a clear
said he hoped the plan will halt the proliferation of unofficial trails, and urged that the
natural resources be protected.
Ross Finlayson, Mountain View, discussed the fundamental differences of opinion in
what it means to manage and preserve open space. He said bicyclists are primarily
concerned with preserving the natural beauty and maintaining the wild nature of the
said bicyclists
preserve. He described his objection to the use of a trail machine. He li
are more tolerant toward steeper trails which are more prone to erosion and they take
a reactive approach -- control rather than prevent erosion. In summarizing the two
different views, he said he would like to see the District consider the following plans
for use and management in the future: 1. A written condition that the wide diversity
present in the District's preserve system is an asset and that the trail use and
management guidelines should reflect the diversity of experiences possible in the
preserves. 2. A willingness to relax the steepness and width guidelines for existing
trails with considerable natural beauty. 3. A willingness to experiment with new
means of reducing the probability of trail conflicts such as one-way controls and
rotation of access. 4. The increased use of alternate means for controlling erosion
such as periodic closures and volunteer trail maintenance. He said he would like the
District to think about this difference of opinion and how the District might
accommodate the desires and needs of all preserve users when it reconsiders its use
and management guidelines in the future.
Berry Stevens, Redwood City, a member of the Task Force and Responsible
Organized Mountain Pedalers (ROMP), said he did not know of any other piece of
property that arouses the passions that El Corte de Madera Creek does. He said the
compromise reached on the plan is reasonable and in the long run this process is a
model for other land management agencies. He said he had reservations about some
specific issues but the plan is a good and fair compromise which he supported
wholeheartedly.
David Luke, San Jose, thanked the Board for having an open mind and listening to
the mountain biking community. He said they would probably prefer trails in a more
rugged state and made the following suggestions in regard to the proposed plan:
• Page 3, under Introduction, eliminate the third paragraph unless they feel it has
some value.
• Page 4, last paragraph, he said the trail characteristics are defined by the
topographic nature of the landscape and also he didn't know if it restricts use by
the hiking public. Also, in his experience, the majority of the mountain bike users
of the trails are beginning or intermediate.
• Page 5, second paragraph, he proposed that as the trail use plan is defined in
more in the future, the Board consider that many other trails are really only used
Meeting 96-12 Page
W. de Wit said the proposed plan was a compromise reached among the Task Force
members.
D. Smemoff said it had been a good process and had resulted in a good and complete
plan which he supported. He said he was looking forward to implementation of the
plan.
M. de Beauvieres presented the staff report; she pointed out the boundaries of El
Corte de Madera Creek Open Space Preserve and reviewed the history of the
property. There are now 17 miles of authorized trails and 21 miles of unauthorized
trails on the preserve. She showed a schedule of the public meetings that had been
held beginning in February 1994. Approximately 30-50 people attended each
meeting. She described the notification process. She said the preserve had been
divided into five study areas. The Task Force studied each area separately, then the
entire preserve was looked at. She told Board members that the construction contract
for the implementation of the first phase of the plan will be presented to them at the
June 26 meeting. A trail crew will be dedicated to the project-for the summer. She
highlighted the priorities (A through D) for construction of the various trails, with A
priority projects being constructed first; $50,000 has been included in the Planning
and Operations budget for construction and staff will be applying for a National Trails
Fund Grant. Staff will be working with the bicycling community to develop and
maintain several trails. She highlighted the additions to the original plan that resulted
from the most recent public meeting.
In answer to P. Siemens' question regarding parking along Star Hill Road for area 5
and creek access, M. de Beauvieres said the problem is that Swett and Star Hill
Roads are both very narrow and staff is not considering developing parking in that
area. P. Siemens said perhaps this parking should be discussed when a long-term
plan is considered.
J. Escobar referred to page 11 of the staff report regarding the citizen's complaint to
the Regional Water Quality Control Board (RWQCB) about the erosion in El Corte de
Madera Creek. He said staff has not yet met with the RWQCB as the May 17
meeting had to be rescheduled because of bad weather. He added there will be an
Adopt-a-Trail program for trails at the El Corte de Madera Creek Open Space
Preserve.
D. Smernoff asked about the changed wording in recommendation 5.01. M. de
Beauvieres said it had originally said closed to public use, but because hikers are
allowed to wander throughout the entire preserve, hiking use remained in the
recommendation.
Kevin Maher, Task Force member, said the District needs to be concerned about use
10 to 20 years in the future. The area will change because of use. He said he still
thinks there are far too many trails, but urged the Board to adopt the plan because it
Mee
ting 96-12 Page 6
said that for the mountain bicyclists to come in with a recommendation that is
acceptable to the hiking community and equestrians is a fine step in the direction of
cooperative relationships between the mountain biking community and public
agencies. She said the District is probably the only agency in the Bay Area that has
been so receptive to the sport of mountain bicycling.
Motion: B. Crowder moved that the Board determine that the recommended
actions are categorically exempt from the California Environmental
Quality act as set out in the staff report. P. Siemens seconded the
motion. The motion passed 6 to 0.
Motion. B. Crowder moved that the Board tentatively adopt the Trail Use Plan
for El Corte de Madera Creek Open Space Preserve as contained in the
staff report as an amendment to the Comprehensive Use and
Management Plan for the Preserve. D. Smernoff seconded the motion.
The motion passed 6 to 0.
C. Britton added that Task Force members were invited the volunteer recognition
event on June 1 and personally thanked M. de Beauvieres, J. Escobar and D.
Sanguinetti. P. Siemens extended an invitation to the June 9 Skyline Ridge Open
Space Preserve event.
B. Agenda Item No. 2 - District A=Qintments to the Midpeninsula Reg-ional__Q= Svacp
District Financing-, Authority GoverningBoard - (LR=rt R-96-58
N. Hanko appointed Mary Davey (Vice-President), Teena Henshaw (Chair, Administration
and Budget Committee), and David Smernoff (Treasurer) to the governing Board of the
Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District Financing Authority. The first meeting will be
June 26 and Supervisor Dianne McKenna will be present at that meeting. C. Britton stated
the Authority will probably only meet once a year.
Motion: P. Siemens moved that the Board approve the President's appointments. D.
Smernoff seconded the motion. The motion passed 6 to 0.
C. Agenda Item No. 3 - Authorization of Permit to Enter for U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency for Soil Testing at Cool&y Landing - Ravenswood Q= SvacePreseve and
Determination that Project is Categgrigally FA=t from MA - a== R-96-5
C. Britton said he had removed this item from the Consent Calendar because the permit's
indemnification clause needed to be reworked. He said the recommendation should be
amended that to find that the project is categorically exempt from CEQA and that he is
authorized to sign a permit to enter upon approval by District Legal Counsel. It will be
returned to the Board as an informational item with the final wording.
Meeting 96-12 Page 5
by bicyclists and hikers who have the stamina and strength to get there. People
who go deeply into the preserve appreciate the rugged terrain.
• Page 8, the Douglas fir mentioned in the first paragraph is a Redwood.
Todd McGee thanked the Use and Management Committee and the Task Force for
being willing to adapt their procedures and behavior to public comments. He asked
that the District take into account the passion and interest of user groups and use their
willingness and labor to its best effect. He described the trails mountain bicycle
groups have worked on.
Bob Kain, Task Force member, urged the Board to approve the proposed plan.
Patty Ciesla, Palo Alto, discussed her philosophy about building trails and said she is
not against the plan. She encouraged the Board, when looking at the building of
trails, to remember that a lot of mountain bicyclists prefer a few obstacles to slow
them down and trails that encourage use because they are tricky, not because they can
go fast. She talked about the Leaf Trail and encouraged the District to keep the
sentiments of users in mind when implementing the plan. To help avoid erosion, she
encouraged the District to look into alternate routing plans or one way designations.
She said they should minimize user conflicts as much as possible. She talked about
the Redwood tree across the creek and encouraged the District to leave the log as it
is.
J. Escobar said trail machines would be appropriate for use on this site. He said staff
has heard the bicycling community in terms of their interest in not having wide,
overly smooth trails, but staff cannot ignore that steepness encourages erosion. He
said some of the wide, steep trails might be replaced with narrower trails that are not
as steep; trails will be moved off ridge tops onto side slopes. He said the common
thread is that although the bicycling community is interested in challenging trails, it is
not necessary that they be too steep. He described what would be done on the Leaf
Trail. He said if there is one goal with the trail plan it is to prevent erosion to
preserve natural resources and he thought that could be accomplished.
W. de Wit said the compromise plan has created a reconciliation between preservation
and recreation.
P. Siemens said the plan is good from the standpoint of process and results. He said
they had received E-mail from people objecting to omitting parts of the plan they
called technical. He said he was interested in the idea of providing challenging trails
while cutting down on speeds. On the issue of volunteers, he said the District had
recently approved increasing the volunteer program and he was expecting great
opportunities for volunteer efforts at this preserve.
N. Hanko thanked the Use and Management Committee and the Task Force. She
Meeting 96-12 Page 7
S. Schectman said EPA has no information that there is any contamination. The testing is
being done as part of a larger effort in sites that can be cleaned up and reused for economic
development. However, if contamination is found the District might be involved in the
remediation process.
Motion: P. Siemens moved that the Board determine that the project is categorically
exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) based on the
findings contained in the staff report and authorize the General Manager to
sign the Permit to Enter as approved by District Legal Counsel. M. Davey
seconded the motion. The motion passed 6 to 0.
VIII. INFORMATIONAL REPORTS
B. Crowder gave staff a copy of a portion of the Harold Gilliam speech given at the Stegner
bench dedication for distribution to anyone who wanted it. She said W. de Wit had been
honored as Environmental Educator of the Year by the Audubon Society. She said she had
met with Judy Steiner of Hidden Villa. She announced that the South Skyline Association is
having its annual Memorial Day Folk Dance Weekend and that Ken Fisher is leading a hike
to Virginia Mill on May 26.
W. de Wit said he had attended a hearing at the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors
about the Coastal Initiative and he had asked to have density credits deleted.
B. Crowder said there will be a first time event at Skyline Ridge Open Space Preserve on
June 23, the Temblor Trails Trials, an equestrian event.
C. Britton reported as follows: (1) He received an invitation to the June 1 Stevens Creek
ribbon cutting, but couldn't attend. (2) Regarding the parking lot at Rhus Ridge Road, M.
Davey, D. Smernoff and B. Crowder have agreed to meet with the neighbors and staff on
June 19 at 6:30 p.m. to look at the issue and gather information. There will ultimately be a
staff recommendation on the parking lot. (3) Mr. Slobe has a bonafide offer in excess of
$3 million for his land adjacent to Windy Hill Open Space Preserve and the District has 21
days to consider and exercise its right of first refusal• he said the price precludes the District
from exercising this right, adding the buyers have asked the District to work with them
because the buyer would like to build a bridge to the property. (4) M. Davey had attended
Ralph Molica's presentation. (5) The Constitutional Review Commission has put their
proposals in the form of a bill. He said he had the bill text and copies could be provided to
interested Board members. (6) He said he wanted to have a professionally mounted bobcat
and mountain lion to display at the District's office so people could see the difference; he has
contacted Wildlife Rescue regarding the loan of a mounted bobcat and Fish and Game will
make a cougar available to the District for mounting. (7) In regard to Harry Haeussler's
comment about the monthly field activity summary and reporting how many violations were
actually cited, he showed the change in the report's format. (8) A $1,875 grant to clean up
the creek at Picchetti had been received. (9) He showed the ad for the June 9 event and
Meeting 96-12 Page 8
said M. Smith gave a District presentation at the Redwood City Planning Commission tonight
and therefore wasn't at the meeting. (10) He had met with Mr. Neely regarding his
driveway at the Windy Hill Open Space Preserve parking lot. (11) The Right to Vote on
Taxes Act petition had been filed with over 1,000,000 signatures.. (12) Ground was broken
on May 21 for the new field office at Skyline.
At 9:20 p.m., N. Hanko adjourned the Regular Meeting and stated that the Board would
reconvene the Special Meeting Closed Session to discuss Closed Session agenda item 3.
IX. CLOSED SESSION, CONTINUED
The Board reconvened the continued Closed Session Special Meeting at 9:24 p.m.
X. ADJOLTRNMFIqT
The Closed Session Special Meeting adjourned at 9:59 p.m.
Roberta Wolfe
Recording Secretary